mar 19 2007 18:41

BIRZEBBUGIA TIGERS vs MOSTA GUNNERS 0 - 1

Birzebbugia Tigers bowed out of this season's IASC Knock-Out at an early stage when they were beaten by Mosta Gunners courtesy of a solitary goal right at the final minutes of the game. This defeat means that the Tigers are now one game away from concluding their season, the last match being the Amateur Cup Final against Msida Red Stars scheduled for next week.

The Tigers welcomed back several key players but the team's performance today was far from satisfactory in a match which resulted in a balanced affair throughout the seventy minutes. After 5 minutes, R.Celeste went close when his shot went wide and on the other end, Mosta shouted their protests when they claimed that a ball played in the penalty area hit defender Mizzi's hands. The referee waved play on and from a favourable position, Mosta's R.Pace saw his tempting cross punched away by the alert Mercieca.

C.Formosa went close for the Tigers with a shot from outside the area and minutes later N.Tabone's freekick sailed high above the crossbar. On the other end, A.Gatt tried his luck with a long range lob which created no serious danger in the Tigers' penalty area. On the 23rd minute mark, the same Gatt eluded the Tigers' defence and with only Mercieca to beat saw his low shot hitting the upright much to Birzebbugia's relief.Three minutes later, Schwienbacher saw his powerful low shot saved into a corner by Muscat. Mosta ended the first period on the attack and twice threatened to score by two consecutive freekicks which were well saved by Mercieca.

The second half was practically a perfect copy of the first. After 7 minutes, Sammut for Mosta had a rising diagonal shot which was blocked by Mercieca and seconds later R.Pace found himself unmarked in the Tigers penalty area but he fumbled his shot and no real danger was created. On the other end, C.Formosa tried his luck from outside the penalty area with a low central shot which was saved by Muscat.

In the 22nd minute a cross thrown in the Tigers' penalty area found Gatt who tested Mercieca's reflexes with an overhead kick. The Tigers tried to react but their firepower today was somehow lacking and it was only through a Schwienbacher's long range effort from almost mid-pitch that they went close to score.

In a swift counter attack A.Gatt sprinted through the Tigers' rearguard but Mercieca dived into his feet and averted the danger. Seven minutes from the final whistle Mosta scored the crucial goal when Kevin Sammut squeezed past two defenders and lobbed over Mercieca. The Tigers now threw caution to the wind and pressed for a late equaliser, but the Mosta defence held strongly. The closest they came was when Formosa found a gap in the opponents' defence but his erratic control saw the ball finishing easily in Muscat's hands.

LINE-UP
99.	JEAN PAUL MERCIECA
2.	MATTHEW SCICLUNA
3.	PAUL CARABOTT DAMATO
4.	GORDON MIZZI
5.	MARK MIGNECO
6.	STEFAN SCHWIENBACHER (c)
7.	CLIVE FORMOSA
8.	CHARLTON CAMILLERI
15.	RONNIE CELESTE
10.	NOEL TABONE
11.	ANDREW GALEA
IN	9. NEVILLE FARRUGIA
OUT	CHARLTON CAMILLERI

 

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